We are looking for a highly organised medical secretary, with previous experience in a similar setting, who will work alongside other Senior Medical Secretaries, to carry out clinical typing, co-ordination of patients' case notes/test results, appointments, assistance with theatre listings, telephone messages amongst other general office duties. The post holder will be based in the offices for the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Secretarial Team at Royal Bolton Hospital.
Candidates should be articulate, capable of undertaking a demanding workload and must be able to demonstrate a significant level of initiative. Candidates should possess advanced keyboard skills including a high standard of word processing skills to RSA III or equivalent level qualification /experience, also GCSE English Language and Maths grade C or above. Previous medical secretarial experience, knowledge of medical terminology and audio typing is essential. You must be able to demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills, the ability to prioritise workload. You should be able to integrate well with the existing team and have a genuine desire to provide a quality service to all patients and knowledge of the NHS are desirable.
Interviewees may be asked to complete a typing test.
The post holder will be responsible for providing an efficient secretarial service to the Obstetrics & Gynaecology Team. The post holder will provide cross cover for fellow secretaries when required.
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust provide services across the north west side of the Greater Manchester area ranging from hospital services in Bolton to community services across Bolton, Salford, Ashton, Leigh and Wigan. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity. Over 5,700 people work for the Trust and many of them have been here a long time. People find they don't need to go elsewhere to find a fulfilling career in healthcare.
The Family Division aims to deliver the highest standards of care for maternity, sexual health, gynaecology and a range of acute and community children's services. The Division is a Centre of Excellence for Women's and Children's services and has a credible and enviable reputation. We deliver over 6,000 babies and carry around 1500 gynaecological procedures each year, making us a specialist provider of health services for women, babies and their families in the North West sector of Manchester and beyond.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For detailed job description and main responsibilities please see the attached job description and person specification for the role, alternative please see contact details below.
Key Relationships: Specialty Managers, Consultants and Medical Staff, Nursing Staff, other secretarial team members (Senior Medical Secretaries, Support Secretaries, Admin Assistants, Clerical Officers)
JOB PURPOSE:
The post holder will be responsible for providing an efficient secretarial service to the Obstetrics &
Gynaecology Team. The post holder will provide cross cover for fellow secretaries whenrequired.
Core/Key areas will include:-
- To provide a full medical secretarial and administrative support
- General office duties including e-mail and computer systems, word processing.
- To assist the OBM/BSM/OSM to facilitate the smooth running of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology services
Key Responsibilities:-
Provision of secretarial duties and administrative support to ensure the efficient and smooth running of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology team. This includes:-
To assist with the management of the Consultants waiting lists (inpatient and outpatient) in line with the Referral to Treatment pathways and access policy.
Typing of day-to-day correspondence on behalf of the Consultant/s and/or practitioner/s working in the department, ensuring that the departmental clinical correspondence targets are adhered to.
To organise the Consultants clinical, academic and professional commitments by managing their diary, co-ordinating clinics and arranging meetings/appointments.
Taking minutes and preparing the agenda for the maternity governance meeting.
Acting independently to prioritise work load. Exercise independent judgement and initiative when resolving problems.
To ensure the timely production of an accurate clinical record of each patient episode using relevant IT systems and databases, including case note tracking and logging 18 week outcomes onto LE2.2
Minimising queries by ensuring letters are completed for each patient episode in a timely manner.
Receive urgent dictation from Clinicians via Digital Dictation systems in use, and prepare the requested correspondence and, if applicable, email the information via the secure email systems.
Liaise with other hospital / departments to ensure appropriate request forms are sent for various investigations and/or appropriate onward referrals are made in a timely manner to ensure the delivery of effective patient care.
Organising access to patient records and ensuring safekeeping of records within the department.
Filing of all clinical correspondence correctly and efficiently into patients case notes ensuring that the department filing policy is adhered to.
To maintain bring forward and follow up systems associated with patients investigations and results to ensure the continuity of patient clinical care within set timescales and adhering to Trust guidelines, policies and procedures. Arranging patients investigations and collating results as necessary and, where necessary, update the investigation checker Excel document as appropriate.
To act as a point of contact for the consultant/s and/or practitioner/s, dealing with enquiries received by letter, email or telephone from GPs, other Hospital departments, health care professions, patients and their families, in an understanding and timely manner. To take clear, concise, accurate messages from the above groups ensuring they are passed on within an acceptable timescale.
To assist the OSM/BSM/OBM in the generation and collation of information relating to complaints within required timescales.
To be responsible for collating information for audit purposes.
Report annual leave, study leave and sick leave to the OSM/BSM and maintain up to date work schedules and pathways to enable other medical secretaries / temporary staff to cover in the event of annual/sick leave.
Undertaking of general office duties such as photocopying, scanning, filing etc and to type and distribute minutes of meetings as appropriate.
To ensure mandatory training requirements are kept up to date.
To carry out any other duties which may be required and to provide cover for Medical Secretaries within the department.
LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Adhere to Trust and departmental policies and procedures.
- Maintain a safe environment for yourself and others, taking reasonable care to avoid injury. Co-operate with the Trust to meet statutory requirements.
- Maintain registration, and nursing competencies, and comply with NMC code of Professional Conduct, and related documents.
- Sustain and improve own professional development by personal study, work based learning activities, and by using opportunities provided by the Trust.
- Keep up-to-date with legal matters that may arise during the course of duty.
Health, Safety and Security:
- All employees have a duty to report any accidents, complaints, defects in equipment, near misses and untoward incidents, following Trust procedure.
- To ensure that Health and Safety legislation is complied with at all times, including COSHH, Workplace Risk Assessment and Control of Infection.
Confidentiality:
- Working within the trust you may gain knowledge of confidential matters which may include personal and medical information about patients and staff. Such information must be considered strictly confidential and must not be discussed or disclosed. Failure to observe this confidentiality could lead to disciplinary action being taken against you.
Data Quality
- All employees are reminded about the importance of Data Quality and staff should make themselves aware of both departmental and corporate objectives for Data Quality.
- Data Quality forms part of the appraisal and objective setting process for staff responsible for data entry and data production; staff should ensure that they adhere to policies and procedures at all times. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action being taken.
Codes of Conduct and Accountability:
- You are expected to comply with relevant Bolton NHS Foundation Trust codes of conduct and accountability.
Infection Prevention and Control:
- You must comply with all relevant policies, procedures and training on infection prevention and control.
Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults:
- You must comply with all relevant policies, procedures and training on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.
Valuing Diversity and Promoting Equality:
- You must comply with all relevant policies, procedures and training on valuing diversity and promoting equality.
Training:
- Managers are required to take responsibility for their own and their staffs development.
- All employees have a duty to attend all mandatory training sessions as required by the Trust.
Any other general requirements as appropriate to the post and location
The range of duties and responsibilities outlined above are indicative only and are intended to give a broad flavour of the range and type of duties that will be allocated. They are subject to modification in the light of changing service demands and the development requirements of the postholder.
Date Prepared: 31st October 2023
Prepared By: Business Support Manager / Operational Support Manager
Agreed By: Employee Service Centre
Employees Name and Signature: Date:
Managers Name and Signature: Date:
PERSON SPECIFICATION
ESSENTIAL
DESIRABLE
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Education/ Qualifications
Proven record of a good standard of education with Medical Secretarial AMSPAR qualification or equivalent experience
RSA Level 3 or equivalent
IT qualification or experience
Application Form
Portfolio
Interview
References
Experience
Experience as a medical secretary in a health care setting
Use of NHS systems e.g. Digital Dictation, LE2.2, CRIS, ORMIS etc
Experience of using digital audio
transcription software
Experience of using multiple software programmes e.g. Excel, Word, etc
Experience of working within Obs & Gynae services
Application Form
Interview
References
Portfolio
Skills and Abilities
Audio typing skills
Good grammar and spelling
Attention to detail
Good organisational skills, ability to prioritise
Data inputting skills
Excellent communication and good interpersonal skills
Good telephone manner
Able to work as part of a team and also on own initiative
Ability to use LE2.2
Ability to use CRIS
Ability to use digital dictation system
Knowledge of various patient pathways and outcomes
Application Form
Interview
References
Work Related Circumstances
Ability to base decisions on improved patient care
Pleasant, enthusiastic, show initiative
Flexibility in working hours
Able to adapt to change
Further education - showing willingness to learn
Ability to show empathy and compassion to patients and colleagues
Ability to show flexibility of approach
Ability to demonstrate creative thinking
DBS check
Pre-employment checks
Prepared By:
Business Support Manager / Operational Support Manager
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust
Date: 31st October 2023